1. Related Disclosures
This patent application contains subject matter disclosed in Disclosure Document Number 405,137 and Disclosure Document Number 408,016.
2. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer control devices and more particularly pertains to a computer pointing device operated by a user's palm movements sensed through the resulting movement of the keyboard or adjacent palm rest.
3. Description of the Prior Art
The use of computer control devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, existing computer control devices typically employ a separate mouse device which the user can manipulate over a surface or mouse pad. Manual directional movement of the mouse is translated into a corresponding directional movement of a pointer on the computer screen. This allows the user to point to certain objects, menus or icons on the screen and select functions or manipulate information on the computer.
Another existing computer control device employs a small button, typically red in color, which is situated between two keys on the computer keyboard of a laptop computer. This device is operated by the index finger of an individual and works much like a joystick control. The directional pressure on the button is translated into a corresponding directional movement at a speed proportional to the amount of pressure applied.
Examples of these and other similar types of computer control device are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,101; U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,715; U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,573; U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,516; U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,795; U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,863; U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,376; U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,760; U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,321; U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,675; U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,690; U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,407; U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,480; U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,192; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,647.
The main problem with most existing computer control devices is that a user must move or otherwise reorient the hand or finger from a typing position on the computer keyboard to operate the control device, and then back again to the computer keyboard to continue typing. This re-orientation visually distracts the user and takes a significant amount of time in the aggregate.
Thus, while these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a computer pointing device for operated by a user's palm movements sensed through a resulting translating movement of a standard keyboard or through a resulting directional pressure on an adjacent palm rest.
In these respects, the computer pointing device according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art.